Terapress

Terapress (Terazosin) is prescribed to reduce high blood pressure. It may be used alone or in combination with other blood pressure lowering drugs and it also prescribed to relieve the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH is an enlargement of the prostate gland that surrounds the urinary canal. It leads to a weak or interrupted stream when urinating and other related symptoms.

This medicine relaxes the tightness of a certain type of muscle in the prostate and at the opening of the bladder. This can reduce the severity of the symptoms. If you have high blood pressure, you must take this medicine regularly for it to be effective. Since blood pressure declines gradually, it may be several weeks before you get the full benefit of it and you must continue taking it even if you are feeling well. It does not cure high blood pressure; it merely keeps it under control.

You may take Terapress (Terazosin) with or without food. Take your first dose at bedtime. Do not take more than the 1mg your physician has prescribed. The usual initial dose is for high blood pressure 1 milligram at bedtime. Your physician may slowly increase the dose until your blood pressure has been lowered sufficiently. The usual recommended dosage range is 1 milligram to 5 milligrams taken once a day; however, some people may benefit from doses as high as 20 milligrams per day.

The starting dose for benign prostatic hyperplasia is 1 milligram at bedtime. Your physician will gradually increase the dose to 10 milligrams, taken once a day, usually for at least 4 to 6 weeks. A few men have needed a dose of 20 milligrams a day. If you stop taking Terapress for several days or longer, your physician will re-start your treatment with 1 milligram at bedtime.

More common side effects of Terapress (Terazosin) may include: Difficult or labored breathing, dizziness, headache, heart palpitations, light-headedness upon standing, nausea, pain in the arms and legs, sleepiness, stuffy nose, swollen wrists and ankles, weakness. If these symptoms persist, tell your physician. Your dosage of Terapress may be higher than needed.

Less common or rare side effects may include: anxiety, back pain, blurred vision, bronchitis, conjunctivitis (inflamed eyes), constipation, decreased sex drive, depression, diarrhea, dimmed vision, dry mouth, facial swelling, fainting, fever, flu or cold symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose), fluid retention, frequent urination, gas, gout, impotence, inability to hold urine, increased heart rate, indigestion, inflamed sinuses, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, itching, joint pain and inflammation, low blood pressure, muscle aches, nasal inflammation, nervousness, nosebleed, numbness or tingling, painful lasting erection, pain in the abdomen, chest, neck, or shoulder, rash, ringing in the ears, severe allergic reaction, sweating, urinary tract infection, vertigo, vision changes, vomiting, weight gain.

When your blood pressure falls in response to taking this medicine, you may faint. Other less severe reactions include dizziness, heart palpitations, light-headedness, and drowsiness. You are also likely to feel dizzy or faint whenever you rise from a sitting or lying position; this should disappear as your body becomes accustomed to it. If your occupation is such that these symptoms might cause serious problems, make sure your physician knows this from the start; he or she will increase your dosage very cautiously.

Regardless of your occupation, avoid driving, climbing, and other hazardous tasks for 12 hours after your first dose, with each new dosage increase and when you re-start treatment after any treatment interruption

If you are taking this medicine for benign prostatic hyperplasia, remember that although it helps relieve the symptoms of BPH, it does not change the size of the prostate, which may continue to grow. You may still need surgery in the future. In addition, it is possible to have BPH and prostate cancer at the same time. If you develop the side effect called priapism - a painful erection that last for hours - call your physician without delay. The condition can lead to impotence if not treated immediately.